1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to audio/video and home automation systems, and more particularly to techniques for configuring audio/video and home automation systems.
2. Background Information
One long-standing problem with audio/video (A/V) and home automation systems (collectively “multimedia systems) is that they generally require extensive configuration (e.g., programming). The components of a multimedia system typically may be interconnected (e.g., by cabling) in a wide variety of different manners. A user (e.g., an installer or end customer) may have difficulty determining all the connections that are required, or at least are desirable, between components.
Depending on the connections made between components of the multimedia system, certain functionality may be achievable. However, in order to realize this functionality, various ones of the components typically must know how to switch data between, control and otherwise interoperate with other components in a manner that will provide the functionality. Absent such configuration, the full potential of the multimedia system may not be realized. Unfortunately, this type of configuration has often required manually coding custom executable code by a trained installer. The costs of custom coding has generally been prohibitive, even for high-end systems.
What is needed is an improved technique for configuring multimedia systems that may address some or all of these shortcomings.